In Conversation With Say Lou Lou

In a wonderful rendering of life imitating art, the girls of Say Lou Lou are as dreamy, striking and eclectic as their music. Surely models in another life, these transatlantic twin beauties have been flung from the far corners of the world, growing up in Australia and Sweden, informing their inclusive global sound. "Some people find that [our sound] is definitely Swedish, just as some people think it’s definitely not. I think it’s global because we’re influenced by everything; we have really diverse cultural heritage," Miranda tells me. "There’s a very Swedish insistence about us; we’re quite organised, but at the same time we have a side to us that is quite humorous and vibrant, and that’s where the music mixes."

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Miranda and Elektra Kilbey act just as I imagine twin sisters to do so, talking over each other, bouncing off one another and finishing the other’s sentences. “Working with your twin sister is difficult. Sometimes we have a really good time together and we can’t imagine working with anyone else; sometimes we want to kill each other,” explains Miranda. "The good thing about being twins is that you can tell each other anything; you can get angry straight away, get it out of your system and move on. We’re extremely honest with each other," adds Elektra.

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Picking up where Bat For Lashes left off, Say Lou Lou (formerly Saint Lou Lou) float through the dream-pop genre, combining ethereal synth sounds with silky smooth vocals and light electro beats. Their polished sound is impressive considering they’ve only been on the music scene for a couple of years, although they’ve been singing together and even recording since they were little. Not surprising considering music runs through their veins; dad is Steve Kilbey, singer-songwriter and bassist for the Australian rock band The Church, while their mother plated with electric guitar in a punk band when she was younger.

Citing David Bowie, The Cardigans, Jeff Buckley and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a handful of their influences - although freely admitting that they don’t particularly sound like any of these artists - the girls blend their love of washed-out disco (“we’re really intrigued by the ethereal yet harsh sounds of Chromatics") with pure pop to create their own unique sound.

Not just pretty faces, the Kilbey duo also dabble in a bit of business, setting up their own imprint underneath the Columbia umbrella (A Deux), to which they are signed after breaking away from French indie label Kitsune. For the twins it was a move that meant they retained creative control; as Elektra says, “it felt really good because we had so much more power over the situation and it felt really organic. That was the point of it; to feel like we were still in control and still managing everything. Even though Columbia brought out the whole record, we still have A Deux and we can go back to it and use it for other things.”

The record - due to be released later this year - is, according to the twins, a celebration of their time making music, “from being a child to being a teenager; being angry, sad and all the feelings we’ve had up until now.” Working with well-known industry professionals, Say Lou Lou have worked hard to fill out their sound, adding heavier grunge-pop elements and soaring instrumentals. From their earlier material such as Maybe You, which exposed their fair voices and slightly softer side to the darker electro-speckled Julian and the infectious synth anthem Better in the Dark, there is a clear progression which will certainly be seen in the album. “It was bit of a quest. We wanted it to feel like it represented all different types of us because we change direction and grow up all the time.”

In the meantime the girls are building up their live performances and having fun frolicking from country to country. Inescapably stylish, both Miranda and Elektra believe in comfort first and foremost when it comes to dressing; "Comfort comes very high on our priority list for fashion," Miranda explains. "Materials that make you feel comfortable are important. We like being feminine but we don’t like overdressing. Sometimes people project a ladylike label on us, but we’re more tomboyish. We like being youthful and playful.” Their Swedish ancestry definitely comes into play in their style, which is a combination of androgynous tailoring and vintage sports-luxe. For Elektra, it's not about following one designer, it's about liking pieces: "We don’t really have favourite labels, we have favourite items and styles from labels; some labels we like for one season, but it’s so up and down so we don’t like committing ourselves to one designer.”

Say Lou Lou's single Everything We Touch will be out on 2 June. Pre-order it on iTunes here.

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